Online shopping has become extremely popular in recent times. More and more people are resorting to this mode of shopping owing to the convenience and speed it offers. Retailers have understood this trend and many offline stores have also started online portals, offering their products through the web.
In this scenario, it is not surprising that online retailers take every opportunity to capture more market share. Providing festive offers is one such way, which attracts more customers and boosts sales of online portals. Festive offers are either in the form of discounts, freebies, cash backs, reward points or offers on usage of certain debit and credit cards by banks who tie up with the online retailer.
Google’s ‘Great Online Shopping Festival’ (GOSF) is one such festive offer, which Google India introduced in 2012, wherein heavy discounts are offered on one day of the year by major online shopping portals. The primary purpose of this offer is to boost sales for the participating portals. Recently, Axis Bank introduced the Shopaholics Online Festival, which was applicable on usage of Axis Bank debit and credit cards in specific online portals. The bank had tied up with different portals and the discount rates offered varied depending on the portal. In some cases, a minimum amount of spend was required, while in some cases, the offer was valid only on certain product categories. Other banks such as ICICI Bank and SBI have also brought out festive offers for online shoppers. ICICI Bank offers a 5-20% discount on consumer durable purchases, made through debit or credit cards or through the bank’s net banking facility. SBI on the other hand, is looking to tie up with different players to give discounts on various product categories such as consumer durables, clothes, shoes, etc.
While festive offers for online shopping seem to be good on face value, care should be taken while using such offers. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Check the terms carefully: First and foremost, when you wish to avail a festive offer while shopping online, you must remember to check the terms of the offer carefully. In many cases, there are additional clauses or conditions to be fulfilled while taking up the offer. For example, you may need to spend a minimum amount for the discount to be triggered. In some cases, the discount may not be applicable on the product you selected and you may overlook this while making the payment. These conditions may be written in small print, so make sure you check everything before making use of such schemes.
- Compare offers across retailers: Again, simply checking out one retailer does not make financial sense. When many online retailers offer discounts at the same time, it pays to check different offers, compare and then choose the best one. It may happen that the same product is available with a different retailer for a lower price or an extended warranty. Again, look at the net benefit when you compare offers across retailers.
- Double check if you have received the benefit before clicking ‘Pay’: Many customers assume that by using the Promo code, they automatically receive the benefit. While large retailers usually do not commit a mistake here, sometimes, small retailers fail to give you what they promise. So it is important to double check what you get before you make the payment. If it is a discount on offer, then this should be reflected in your payment. If it is cash back or reward points you are getting, this will take time to get reflected. Nevertheless, wherever possible, check if you are getting what you have been promised before you pay.
- Do not spend mindlessly simply to avail offers: Sometimes, people spend only to avail the offer. This does not make financial sense, as you will end up splurging on unnecessary things. Even if it is raining offers and all retailers are giving festive offers at the same time (which is usually the case, especially in the case of the GOSF), you must check the affordability of your purchases before spending mindlessly.
- Check for rewards/cash back promptly: As mentioned earlier, cash backs or reward points which are given as a part of festive offers take time to get credited to you. Many people forget to keep track of this. Do remember to check for these benefits at a later date, whenever the retailer has noted that it will get credited. Keep the details of the promo code used, card payment / net banking payment details etc. carefully, in case this is needed at a later date.
Online shopping is a way of life for many of you, and making use of festive offers can help you save a great deal. However, it is important to follow the above tips in order to gain from such offers.